The Effects of Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy, Hysterectomy, and Appendectomy on Nosocomial Infection Risks

Background: This paper presents precise estimates of nosocomial infection risks associated with laparoscopic as compared to open surgery in three procedures: cholecystectomy, appendectomy, and hysterectomy.Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 11,662 admissions from 22 hospitals that have a nosocomial infection monitoring system. The Nosocomial Infection Marker (NIM, patent-pending) was used to identify nosocomial infections during hospitalization and post-discharge. The dataset was analyzed by source of infection: urinary tract, wounds, respiratory tract, bloodstream, and others. Single and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to control for the following potentially confounding variables: gender, age, type of insurance, complexity of admission on presentation, admission through the emergency department, and hospital case mix index.Results: Analyses were based on 399 NIMs in 337 patients. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy and hysterectomy each reduced the overall odds of acquiring nosocomial infections by more than 50% (p